Relationships Between Neurosociology, Foundational Social Behaviorism, and Currents in Symbolic Interaction

Abstract

This chapter discusses the contributions of neurosociology to what symbolic interactionists refer to as the foundational social behaviorism of G.H. Mead. First, the varieties in symbolic interaction are described. A theme of this chapter is that if a field so different from symbolic interaction as neuroscience can contribute to it, then neuroscience can certainly contribute to all of sociology. This chapter starts with describing symbolic interaction’s early interest in aphasia, then how it supports accounts through evidence given by split-brain research. Then memory is shown to be highly unreliable and interpretive. Much of this chapter describes the issues that created pragmatism and closes with how mirror neurons support the philosophy of pragmatism and contribute to our ability to speak, another area critical to symbolic interaction.